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What we think of as “reference” has steadily evolved with technology. Now “reference” is more likely than not to be synonymous with “database.” Most of the publishers in this month’s Reference section offer digital databases alongside—or in lieu of—traditional printed reference materials like books and periodicals. 

Salem Press, 75 years old this year, offers multivolume resources that meet the needs of many readers. LJ talked to Leslie Mackenzie, Salem’s president and publisher, about Salem’s vision for reference and its approach to making its materials accessible to all.

Coherent Digital provides students, educators, policymakers, and librarians with wide-ranging resources for research, learning, and discussion. LJ talked with Eileen Lawrence, Coherent’s cofounder and senior adviser, to discuss Coherent’s materials, selection process, and commitment to finding, preserving, and making endangered content accessible.

Bibliodiversity, state-of-the-art content, and hand-picked works supporting curricula make academic ebook platforms key parts of the collection development ecosystem.

From the research services of a presidential center to a large public library system and an academic music archive, explore three libraries around the country and the resources they rely upon.

Top titles across 12 subjects serving reference work and research.

When the journey is the point, the mode of travel is as important as the destination. Moving from here to there—whether via quiet footfalls or the whisper of wings or sailing with a neatly trimmed spinnaker—fascinates readers and makes them wonder if there are ways to do it more efficiently, more economically, or with more zest and flair. The books on this list answer with a resounding “yes.”

Searching to update collections and fill information gaps? Consider these 580+ new and forthcoming print titles. Also included are updated lists of reference fun reads. 

Support research and scholarship with these 80+ new and forthcoming databases and online products, spanning specialized topics and general reference. 

Scheduled to be updated in late 2024/through 2025, consider these 140+ databases and online products. Arranged by category, these resources range from titles on the arts to those addressing technology.

Part two of Gale's Refugees, Relief, and Resettlement archive excels as a resource supporting research in history, political science, sociology, diaspora studies, and migration and refugee studies. 

BBC Monitoring provides exceptional primary documents about political, social, military, cultural events, and intelligence gathering from the start of World War II to the early 21st century. 

LJ interviews the editors of The Oxford Dictionary of African American English. This first-of-its-kind resource of 1,000 words (planned for publication in 2025) aims to record the most comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date picture of African American English yet.

An excellent resource for those beginning their journey in education or users conducting upper-level searches, this database is highly recommended for any institution with undergraduate or graduate education programs.

As with the previous modules in the series, this collection of primary resources is exceptional, with unique content and user-friendly features. It is an excellent resource for researchers of gender and women’s studies, LGBTQIA+ studies, cultural studies, and social history. Moreover, it expertly expands upon the five earlier collections of the archives and pairs well with other Gale primary resources.

The Exact Editions Literature Collection is an attractive option for users who want easy and mobile access to a curated collection of popular literary journals and magazines. 

The Gale Peterson’s Test and Career Prep database is an outstanding resource that provides a plethora of tools and tests to help learners prepare for exams and career challenges. 

Informative and impactful, EBSCO’s Magazine Archives database chronicles important events, people, and popular culture movements of the 20th century.

The Policy Commons database is a powerful search engine that offers discovery and access to millions of gray literature documents on public policy.

The Asian American Experience database is an illuminating resource that offers unprecedented access to a range of materials centered on Asian American politics, arts and entertainment, literature, science, and more.

Offers an extraordinary look inside the world’s premier producer of Shakespeare plays and other renowned theater productions outside of the Shakespearean canon. 

This well-designed, stimulating resource offers robust content for students, instructors, and researchers of dress history and design, including film and theater costuming. 

Bloomsbury Visual Arts hub is a comprehensive resource covering all aspects of the visual arts, from the art to the artist to the industry. It is an essential, top-tier resource for the study and practice of the visual arts across all areas.

This archive is a dynamic resource for faculty, students, and researchers interested in the economic, historical, and sociological challenges of the Caribbean in the late 19th century.

This responsive digital resource provides up-to-date, highly searchable information for students seeking to cite sources and engage in the research process, from formatting to documenting to using inclusive language. Highly recommended for any undergraduate or graduate institution.

Librari facilitates inquiry for students and other patrons curious about AI, offering opportunities to integrate AI into curricula in thoughtful and structured ways. 

Stephen A. Marshall’s latest book, Hymenoptera: The Natural History and Diversity of Wasps, Bees and Ants, was one of LJ’s Best Print Reference picks for 2023 and also won the prestigious Dartmouth Medal. LJ invited Marshall to reflect upon the definition of reference, his approach to writing and research, and his fieldwork.

This extensive database of previously unaggregated primary-source documents provides a view of the United States government’s documentation of a crucial period in U.S. and Indigenous history. A valuable resource for researchers seeking firsthand reports in U.S. political and military history.

This user-friendly Gale database contains primary sources from the 19th to 21st centuries that are sure to appeal to people interested in modern counterculture and social histories, along with progressive political and societal movements. 

This Gale database offers a distinctive look into the history of American environmental conservation.

Free reference sources, vetted, smart, and endlessly useful, are a rich resource for scholars and students. Here are our five top picks for 2023.

Databases foster deep research, expansive reading, and a myriad of inquiry avenues. These 10 tools, covering food, Shakespeare, study skills, and much more, are our selections for the best databases of 2023.

Reference works contain entire worlds, arranged, indexed, and designed to support research and exploration. These aids—hefty both in physical form and in depth and resonance—provide new interpretations, offer access into decades of academic work, and foster fresh ways of thinking.

HeinOnline’s revamped, improved, and expanded iteration of Congress and the Courts provides a broader contextual foundation to analyze judiciary systems and actions.

The United States Geological Survey’s topoView offers access to maps in a way that's educational and entertaining.

This database project offers free, comprehensive, unprecedented access to three decades of material about Asian Pacific American history, culture, politics, and news, all published in AsianWeek.